More than 140,000 American children have lost caregivers to COVID-19

More than 140,000 American children have lost a parent, grandparent, or other guardian due to COVID-19[female[feminine, a study found, with researchers noting significant racial and ethnic disparities and calling for a targeted effort to protect children Mental Health and well-being.

The federally funded findings, published in the Pediatrics journal, is the result of a collaboration between researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and several universities, and included data from April 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, concluding that approximately 1 in 500 American children have been affected by the orphanage linked to COVID.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the loss of a parent or grandparent who provides basic care and needs can increase the risk of poor mental health and self-esteem in children and give way to drug addiction, suicide, violence and sexual abuse.

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“Children facing the orphanage because of COVID are a hidden global pandemic that has unfortunately not spared the United States,” CDC researcher and lead author of the study Susan Hillis told an NIH. Press release posted Thursday. “All of us – especially our children – will feel the serious immediate and long-term repercussions of this problem for generations to come. “

Hillis stressed that tackling child loss should be one of the top priorities in the pandemic and post-pandemic response.

The team of researchers conducted the study by analyzing mortality, fertility, and census data across the United States and for each state, with deaths associated with COVID-19 referring to direct and indirect causes, such as COVID-19 disease or blockages, reduced quality of health. care and treatment of diseases. The results indicated that approximately 120,630 American children lost a parent or grandparent who provided basic care and needs, while another 22,007 children lost a secondary guardian, or grandparents providing housing. but not basic needs, according to the publication.

“The death of a parental figure is a huge loss that can reshape the life of a child,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “We need to work to ensure that all children have access to evidence-based prevention interventions that can help them get through this trauma, to support their future mental health and well-being.”

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“At the same time, we need to tackle the many underlying inequalities and health disparities that put people of color at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 and dying from COVID-19, which puts children of color at greater risk of losing a parent or caregiver and the associated adverse effects on their development, ”added Volkow.

The researchers found significant disparities; While white individuals make up 61% of the population and minorities make up 39% of the population, white children made up 35% of those who lost a primary caregiver, while racial and ethnic minority children made up 65% of those who have lost a caregiver.

Compared to white children, Native American / Alaska Native children were 4.5 times more likely to lose a caring parent or grandparent. Black children were associated with a 2.4 times greater likelihood of losing a parent or grandparent than white children, while Hispanic children were 1.8 times more likely, according to the release.